The Florida Gators are facing some injury woes as they enter a tough week of SEC play. / Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

GAINESVILLE -- Symbolic of where the Florida basketball team is right now? On Monday morning, junior forward Casey Prather came hobbling down the sidewalk to the practice facility wearing a boot on his sprained ankle with a crutch in both hands.

He wasn't smiling.

There are a lot of serious expressions around the Gators this week, with a Thursday trip to Texas A&M (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) -- coming off the first win by a visiting SEC team at Kentucky in the John Calipari era -- following by a visit to the O'Connell Center on Saturday by Missouri (2 p.m.ET, ESPN). Like Florida, the Tigers have been at or around the top 10 in the polls most of the season -- for a game that is already sold out.

At the same time, Florida (12-2) is also dealing with guard Mike Rosario's ankle injury (missing last Saturday's 74-52 win at LSU in which Prather was hurt), while forwards Erik Murphy and Will Yeguete have a broken rib and tendinitis respectively. Guard Scottie Wilbekin is playing with a broken finger.

A team being held together by scotch tape and glue? Almost.

Yeguete, who had a broken bone in his foot last season and missed the postseason, was to be examined more on Monday to see if the injury was more than just tendinitis. Regardless, he should keep playing.

"I don't know what else it would necessarily be,'' Gators coach Billy Donovan said. "They want to take some X-rays because he's got some swelling in his knee."

Rosario and Murphy were also X-rayed just to see how they were doing and that there was nothing more involved that the original diagnosis.

So all lines form . . . at the training room.

It was Prather who helped absorb the blow of so many players' limited minutes because of their problems.

Now here came slowly down the street looking like a train had just hit him. Actually, Florida has to fear being run over with so little depth and so few healthy players in one of the biggest weeks of the season so far.

What to do?

Michael Frazier III, who had five points, seven rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes at LSU, will see more minutes, no doubt, as the freshman continues to get better and better.

"Coach told us at the beginning of the season that even if you're not getting a lot of playing time now you have to stay ready because injuries are going to happen,'' Fazier said.

Donovan's prediction came true. He will have to rely on freshmen more and try to be creative when mixing in hurt players and trying to keep minutes down in the next few games, at least.

And center Patric Young, a junior who seems destined to leave after March Madness for the NBA, needs to pick up more of the rebounding and scoring slack.

"The guys in my class have been in their ears _ be ready,'' center Patric Young said of the freshmen.

Making matters worse for Florida is the dreaded Thursday-Saturday schedule this week -- the only one the Gators have to endure in SEC play this season -- the accommodate ESPN's demands.

Everybody in our league has to deal with that,'' Donovan said. "That's just kind of how it is.''

As for all the injuries, he's trying to find something positive to hold on to.

"I don't think it's a real severe high ankle sprain,'' Donovan said of Prather, who sounds definitely out for the week's games. "Those things can take a long time to heal. Our best guess right now is 10-14 days.''

Donovan looks at both opponents this week as big challenges. Ironically, both are in their first year in the league.

"Certainly any time you win a game on the road in this league or any league for that matter it's a positive. . . . I think our guys understand each and every game we play whoever we play you are always going to be in difficult challenges and battles,'' he said.

Donovan, who could pick up his 400th win on Thursday, was actually told at halftime of the LSU game the Prather had "broken something'' but that proved to be wrong. With the rash of injuries.

Prather's absence for A&M is huge because of rebounding figures to be at a premium vs. the Aggies. Missouri also poses a major headache because the Tigers' fast paced style is normally what the Gators love _ but with a possible lack of depth, now what?